Sweden left-back Ludwig Augustinsson feels Tottenham’s Dejan Kulusevski is growing more as a leader
Tottenham Hotspur players have left for international duty in a deflated state of mind after the 2-1 defeat to Newcastle United last weekend.
The new Premier League season hasn’t gone as per plan for Ange Postecoglou and Co., and while they have played well, results haven’t been kind with just four points picked from three games. Generally, after a defeat, the head coach wants to work with the players and right the wrongs but in this case, Ange Postecoglou didn’t really get ample time to address the problems.
The international break gives players chances to get minutes in their tanks and keep themselves in shape, whilst being ready to perform at club level. Tottenham star Dejan Kulusevski has linked up with Sweden for their Nations League games against Azerbaijan and Estonia. The 24-year-old will lead Sweden on Thursday evening as skipper Victor Lindelof is unavailable due to injury.
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Now ready to don the armband and lead Sweden out against Azerbaijan, Dejan Kulusevski has been praised by his compatriot Ludwig Augustinsson whilst speaking to TV4. Augustinsson feels the Spurs attacker is ‘growing as a leader’ and that his promotion as Sweden captain in Lindelof’s absence is ‘natural’.
“He has natural leadership qualities. He is a pusher. He wants to move forward, he takes the initiative. He drives the team on the pitch and more and more in the dressing room,” Augustinsson said in an interview with Swedish outlet TV4.
“He is much more open and outgoing than before. He is growing more and more into a leader and he has a lot of experience at the highest level. It feels natural that it is he who takes the armband.”
It is not surprising to see Kulusevski viewed as a leader by one of his international colleagues. The Stockholm-born talent admitted giving an inspired team talk back in March after being pushed by Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou, further underlining his leadership skills.
Recently in an interview, Lucas Bergvall—Spurs teammate as well as his national team colleague—also credited Kulusevski for his off-field support. Bergvall’s transition from Sweden to the Premier League has supposedly been made easier by Kulusevski’s mentorship and help. It is a great sign, one that shows Kulusevski is growing as a leader and mentor for young talents despite being relatively young at 24.
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Kulusevski will be motivated to assume the leadership role and help his nation register wins over Azerbaijan and Estonia in the upcoming Nations League fixtures. Let’s hope he performs well across the two games and returns to N17 in high spirits and confidence.
